University of Manitoba study finds full-day kindergarten does not boost kids' academic success in the long run.

The academic benefits of full-day kindergarten are short-lived and by high school there is no difference between a child who attended the all-day program or only went for half, says a new study out of the University of Manitoba.

Researchers found full-day kindergarten does not “shrink the gap” in achievement between students from families with low socioeconomic status and those from more affluent homes, a reason often cited for the program.

“We’re not trying to say full-day kindergarten is not a good program — what we are saying is if you are implementing full-day kindergarten to get these long-term academic outcomes, maybe this isn’t the best way to do it,” said Marni Brownell, a senior research scientist and professor with the University of Manitoba.

The benefits seen early on “maybe just fade because full-day kindergarten has a smaller and smaller influence as kids get more experience in the academic setting,” Brownell added.

As for the achievement gap, “maybe the kinds of things kids are learning at school aren’t being reinforced at home” and that’s why no difference is seen in later years.

The Manitoba findings come on the heels of a study done for the Ontario government showing that, in the short term, kids in the full-day program are two to four times ahead of others in several key learning skills by Grade 1. The government will soon release that study in its entirety.

The Ontario research project “provides ample evidence of the success of Ontario’s full-day kindergarten program. Overall, students in FDK are better prepared to enter Grade 1 and to be more successful in school,” said Education Minister Liz Sandals.

Full-day kindergarten will be fully implemented across Ontario by next fall, despite concerns from some school boards about a lack of space to accommodate the extra classrooms needed, as well as inadequate funding.

Tory MPP and education critic Rob Leone said parents like the program, but given Ontario’s financial situation, it should be rolled out at a slower pace. When fully implemented, it will cost the province $1.5 billion a year.

“We have to make sure that if we are rolling this out, that we do so in a responsible manner.”

Brownell noted the study — which has not yet been published — did not examine kids’ social or emotional development.

“They are important,” she added, and worth further examination.

With files from Canadian Press

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